Winter Adventures In Oregon : Crater Lake National Park

...I hope to have a few days off in February, and since I'm broke ( after all that traveling ), was thinking about some local adventures ... May be Oregon ?

 Been planning to visit Crater Lake National Park for a while ( and even put it on my Bucket List ! ). Heard it offers amazing XC skiing opportunities in winter ... Also, would love to take my SUP for a long paddle around the lake !

Among other things to do:  I'd like to go skiing/riding at Mt Hood, ski-biking at Hoodoo Ski Area, and chillaxing at one of Oregon's famous hot springs !

Paddling The Hillsborough River, FL

The Hillsborough River flows 54 miles from its head waters in the Green Swamp to its mouth in Hillsborough Bay, a portion of Tampa Bay, Florida's largest open-water estuary. From nearly pristine conditions, the river winds its way to Tampa Bay through rural, suburban, and urban settings.

My first introduction to SUPing in Florida happened on  the Hillsborough River where I enjoyed paddling my board to the heart of Tampa.

I also happen to live right across from Lettuce Lake Park  in Temple Terrace. Located at the north edge of Tampa, Lettuce Lake Park protects 240 acres along the Hillsborough River, providing a getaway for hikers, bicyclists, runners, and  all types of paddlers ( kayakers, canoeists, and of course paddleboarders ).

On one of the beautiful sunny days, I decided to go on a short adventure paddle along the river.

For the most part the Hillsborough is what is known as a dark or black water river. The water is stained reddish-brown by the tannic acid (the same thing that gives iced tea that reddish-brown color). It comes from the decaying leaves and other vegetation in the swamp.

The Hillsborough River has been favorably compared to the Amazon and the Florida Everglades as one of the great places to view wildlife. The Hillsborough River was chosen by "Canoe and Kayak Magazine" as one of "North America's Best Close to Home Paddling Adventures" in its May 1995 issue.

The River astounded me with its beauty and abundant wildlife. This would be a great trip for wildlife watchers, families, and those seeking the serenity of the outdoors.

TIP:  The above mentioned Lettuce Lake Park offers canoe rentals ( year round ), and nearby University of South Florida Campus Recreation has canoes, kayak, and paddleboards for rent.

Hurricane Sandy: One Man's Misery Is Another Man's Opportunity

Don't get me wrong, what's going on on the East Coast, and especially in New York right now, is horrible...

But when Mother Nature sends her wrath our way, we're at her mercy, and so all we can do is stay prayerful and do the best that we can to stay safe.

But while for most people Hurricane Sandy has become an emergency situation, for others it presented a different opportunity...

SUPing At Sunset Beach, In Tarpon Springs, FL

Not on your average tourist's radar, Sunset Beach juts into the gulf at the end of Gulf Road in Tarpon Springs. It's nearly a perfect spot to sit in the shade of the palm trees gently swaying in the breeze and watch the sunset.

This is the perfect beach to go to if you want to escape the crowds. True to its name, it is a spectacular place to view sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico.

Apparently, this beach is also popular among paddleboarders, and kite surfers.  In "winter months" ( are there "winter months" in Florida ? :)), the wind is nice and steady, enough area to launch your kite, and super safe for beginner kiters ( it's shallow, so even if you get stuck, you can always just get up and walk back to the beach ).

I took my Stand Up Paddle Board /windsurfer for a short evening session. I had a lot of fun, and the sunset was breathtaking !!!

Windsurfing The WindGlider On Lake Tapps

Recently I've been obsessed with windsurfing. Nice weather, steady wind, and a few new ( recently discovered ) local spots ( Golden Garden, Magnuson Park, Browns Point ) provided with excellent opportunities for windsurfing in Washington.

As you remember, last summer I got to try my new Windglider ( now re-branded as Aquaglide ), a great multi-use watercraft that can be used as a windsurfer, a sit-on-top kayak, a performance towable, a sailboat, or a motor tender. This summer, I tried to use it as a windsurfer.

Even if you've never ever done ANY board sports, the Windglider would be an excellent way to introduce yourself to both windsurfing and paddleboarding.

Because it's so wide and stable, you'll have no problem keeping your balance. Because it's inflatable, you won't need much wind, and even a light breeze will get it going.

Not to mention how compact it is. Everything fits into a bag. . The WindGlider is compact, quick and easy to assemble, and you don't have to worry about having an expensive car rack or a trailer to transport it. It certainly beats having to transport/keep five separate water toys.

If you're ExtraHyperActive with multiple outdoor hobbies, this is a perfect multi-use watercraft for you !

Surfing, Alaskan Style

I wrote before about incredible surfing and stand up paddleboarding opportunities in Alaska. Recently, I came across a great photo site by Scott Dickerson.


Scott, raised in Alaska, has been pioneering the waterman lifestyle in the last frontier for 15 years. As a photographer, sup distributor/dealer and surf charter boat captain, he enjoys sharing the breathtaking scenery of Alaska with the world, especially from a standup perspective.

Please, check out his site, even if you're not a surfer, you'll find his pictures amazing and breathtaking !





Visiting Alaska is already on my Bucket List, and along with things like sea kayaking among icebergs, climbing Denali, heli-skiing, I'm going to add "Surfing/SUPing".

You might also like :

Surfing and SUPing In Alaska

Extreme Glacier Surfing In Alaska Video

Boretide SUP Surfing In Alaska

SUPing The Great Salt Lake

 After biking the Bonneville Salt Flats, I was on my way to the capital of Utah - Salt Lake City. I've never been to this city before, and was fascinated to visit "Mormon Capital of the World".

Salt Lake City is an attractive, well-planned, architecturally unique town. But as you know me, doing the usual "touristy stuff" is not my way of traveling.

My first stop was the Great Salt Lake, after which the capitol was named ( the city was originally named "Great Salt Lake City"—the word "great" was dropped from the official name in 1868 ).

The lake's turquoise waters attract sailors, its white sand beaches are popular with swimmers and sunbathers, and craggy outcroppings on Antelope Island and some shoreline areas draw hikers and mountain bikers.

The Great Salt Lake is one of the most asked-about tourist destinations in Utah. A remnant of the massive ancient Lake Bonneville, the lake is now landlocked and its waters are salty. It is the largest lake between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean, and is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.

At least, that's what I read about it when I was doing my research.

Great Salt Lake State Marina provides easy access to the lake from HWY 80, and that's where I came...Long story short, I was...disappointed...the Great Salt Lake was quite GROSS!

The whole place reeks of raw sewage. Decay of insects and other wildlife give the shore of the lake a distinctive odor. I could hardly launch my board, and thought that if I paddled further away from the shore, the water would be cleaner, but even away from the shore it was pretty disgusting.

At that point I wished I opted for visiting Antelope Island,the largest island of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake.

View a free-roaming herd of 500 bison, and pronghorn and bighorn sheep that share the rangelands. Hike, mountain bike or horseback ride along backcountry trails for spectacular views of Great Salt Lake and island scenery. Check in at the visitor center for maps and information on the island's unique biology, geology and history.

Sounds to me like I missed out on a whole lot of cool stuff :(

Well, may be next time ...

Surfing Neah Bay : Part II

Skiing and surfing on the same day can be a rare experience. While there are some locations across the world where you could ski and surf on the same day like Chile and New Zealand, I wanted to put our state on the map of " World's Best Adventure Travel Destinations" by exploring the Olympic Peninsula.

The Olympic Peninsula is a place where surfing and skiing can be just a few hours from one another. You can start out early morning on the snow-capped mountains of the Hurricane Ridge, and finish the day off taking on waves along the coast.

For my surfing part of the trip I went to Neah Bay, a small town on the Makah Indian Reservation located in the north-westernmost point of the continental United States. It was my first time visiting this corner of our state, and the experience was amazing !

Driving along State Route 122 ( named the Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway ) was like driving along Big Sur ( in California )- beautiful views, amazing pieces of history and unique places to visit !

While in town, I couldn't resist the temptation to have my picture taken at the north-westernmost point of the contiguous United States ( with Tatoosh Island in the background ). A land of dramatic headlands, sea stacks, and deep narrow coves, Cape Flattery exhibits sheer rugged beauty.

After a short hike and a few pictures, I headed down to Hobuck Beach, an exposed beach break that has small, but quite consistent surf and can work ( mostly ) at any time of the year. The access to the beach ( that I found ) was through "gated" Hobuck Beach Resort. Though a day pass is $15, I was happily waived the fee ( you still have to pay $10 for your recreation pass to park anywhere on the reservation ). There are a few cabins and a dozen or so tent and RV spaces ( $20 a night ).

Just like La Push, Hobuck Beach is an average beachbreak that has some good days and a lot of bad days. It's a beautiful spot, however, and the drive here is well worth it, even if the surf sucks.


That day I was blessed with beautiful spring weather, light breeze, and lots of sunshine. But the slopes of Hurricane Ridge were waiting for me, and I still had 2 hour drive ahead of me.

Ski and Surf the Olympic Peninsula: Part I

How many places in the WORLD do you know where you can surf and ski in the same day ?

Skiing magazine knows 6. I can add 2 more : Iceland and ....Washington !

I've always thought of our state as one of the world's premier adventure travel destinations, and if you've been following my blog, you know we have it all : from world class mountaineering to the best cold water scuba diving, easily accessible hiking trails to one of the finest mountain biking playgrounds in the world. 

So when Ski Magazine failed to mention Washington state as one of the world's best places to ski and surf in the same day, I decided to go on an adventure of my own. 

The Spectacular Olympic Peninsula is known as one of the most photographed, and one of the most desired places to visit in our state. People from all across the globe come to experience the thrill of this Natures' Paradise.

This wasn't my first time visiting this corner of our state, but this time I had more time to actually do something fun !

I've already surfed at one of the popular spots on the Olympic Peninsula - La Push.

This time, I decided to explore another popular surf location and surf at  Hobuck Beach at the Makah Indian Reservation.

After spending half of the day surfing, I headed back towards Port Angeles to ski at the Hurricane Ridge.

What was suppose to be a day trip of surfing and skiing, turned into a weekend of unforgettable fun !

....to be continued...

Ski and Surf Iceland

Ski and surf Iceland ?! Why not ?!


I already wrote about great heli-skiing opportunities that Troll’s Peninsula in Iceland offers.

But not many people know Iceland as a great surfing destination.

With its serrated coast and miles of cobblestone-lined beaches,you’d be hard-pressed to find a more uniquely hard-core surfing destination, one that receives swell from all angles most of the year, and one that offers waves for surfers of all abilities.


Iceland - Stand Up Paddle from Blueline - Santa Barbara on Vimeo.


Check out Go There: Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland for more information on surfing in Iceland.

Liberia smiling : SUP and surf in West Africa

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east.

In 1980, a military coup overthrew the Americo-Liberian establishment marking the beginning of political and economic instability and two successive civil wars that left approximately 250,000 people dead and devastated the country's economy.

Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil war and related economic dislocation, with about 85% of the population living below the international poverty line.

For now though, most of country's cultural wealth remains inaccessible to visitors, and independent travel outside of the country's capital Monrovia is not considered safe.

Though, Liberia is known around the world mostly for its brutal civil war, now people are discovering its potential in an unlikely area - surf tourism.

Liberia smiling from Fresh & Ready on Vimeo.

Morning Workout : SUPing Lake Tapps

Paddling Lake Tapps with Mt Rainier in the background...